Behind Unseen Walls
by Asa Usa
Summary: *Spoilers* After winning the Nationals, Ryoma keeps to himself. Wanting to celebrate, the rest of the team is confused and hurt that he left them, so they decide to follow him. Is Ryoma visting a girfriend, or is it something more? *rewritten version*


WARNING!

SPOLIERS!

YOU WERE WARNED!

(Note, if you have not finished the first series, please skip the first few paragraphs)

"_Behind His Walls"_

"GAME SET! Won by Echizen Ryoma 6-4" the umpire called out, and the stadium filled with cheers as Ryoma, the first freshmen to ever have a winning team in the nationals ,and Seishun Academy won the nationals.

**Half an hour later:**

**Ryoma's POV**

I was just passing the small coffee shop about half way down the block from the stadium when I heard my friends and teammates call out to me. "Echizen! Wait up! We should go celebrate together!" Eiji called out euphoric.

I turned as the small group caught up to me, glancing at there happy looking faces. Even Fuji's smile seemed a little wider and brighter. "Sorry, but I can't, due to other arrangements'" I replied stiffly, my face a blank mask. They stared at me, crestfallen at my reply and surprised to find me acting this way without my cocky mask on . . .

"You sure you regained all of your memories yet?" Momo asked uncertainly, his face showing confusion, almost like this new side of me was a stranger . . . which it was.

"Yes, I got back all my memories when you guys _dropped_ me onto the cold floor of the locker rooms after the game .Sorry, but I have to go now, or I might be late. I'll see you at tomorrow's practice, okay?" I said, putting some false cheer into my voice.

In two weeks, I was going to leave for America. I knew that I should tell them, but I just couldn't figure out a way to without upsetting them to much, if that was even possible.

They said a quick goodbye, and started to walk the other way, towards a new sushi shop. I watched their backs for a few seconds, and started back down the block; however, for once, my destination was not home.

**Third Persons POV**

"Strange, very unlike Ryoma's normal personality." Inui commented, his more often than not unemotional face scrunched up in bafflement.

"Shall we investigate; he could be going on a date!" Eiji energetically said, sounding sort of like a squealing, giggling fan girl.

"I refuse to believe that he has a girlfriend, and I don't!" Momo burst out loudly, opposed the thought that Ryoma could have managed to get a girl before his senior did. But with all those fangirls, he was bound to have found someone . . .

"We should follow him" Eiji piped in thoughtfully. When he noticed the other's stares, he finished his train of thought "What? We could find out who his girlfriend is then!" He defended himself.

"Isn't that kind of like stalking him?" Momo said, bemused at Eiji's slightly annoyed and disappointed face.

"It's his business, and we have no right to be intruding" Tezuka yelled, angry that his teammates could even think of doing that to Ryoma.

"I agree" Fuji said as Oishi passively tried to stop their teammates from harmfully spying on one another.

"It would be a good chance to get some data, and some personal information; after all, I can't find any background info. That guy is rather . . . odd. No matter what I find, I cant ind anything. It's like that guy adopted a whole new name or life when he moved here" Inui said as he decided on doing what he knew was wrong, but wanted to do so very badly.

Fuji, Oishi and Tezuka shared a brief glance, and realized that the others would go with or without them, and sighed. The rest, tasking that as a sigh of yes, started following Ryoma, who had just turned the block. He walked for about ten minutes, and then stopped at a flower shop. The group trailed after him, stopping in an alleyway across the street from the flower shop, in case Ryoma walked the other way when he came out.

When he came out minutes later, he leaned against a wall facing the alleyway and pulled his cap down, covering his eyes and shadowing the rest of his face .The team realized he wouldn't be able to see them from his angle. That's when they noticed his right hand.

In it was a huge bouquet. There was a single red, blue, deep pink and yellow rose in the center of the bouquet, which was ringed with white roses, and that, lastly, was surrounded by a giant ring of black roses. The roses were fully bloomed, and all had a glossy, beautiful shine. The plastic covering the roses had a soft blue sheen, and the edges of the plastic were covered with sparkly beads in shades of blue .The bouquet was obviously custom made, and very expensive.

"What an interesting combination of colors" Inui said slyly. "If I'm correct, red means love, beauty, courage, or respect. Yellow means friendship, the promise of a new beginning, or remember me. Blue means the unattainable, or the impossible. Deep pink means gratitude or appreciation." He paused, as if recalling something.

"White can mean marriage, but in this shade it probably means purity and innocence. Black means a new beginning . . . or death." He finished. He was now analyzing the bouquet.

"Are you a romantic type or something? How do you know this much about roses?" Momo asked, his tone matching the look on the other's faces: Awe.

"My old girlfriend was really into that kind of stuff "Inui said his eyes focused on the roses. "There are twenty four roses, which is the number that is symbolic of 'I can't stop thinking of you' or 'I'm thinking of you twenty four seven'" Inui said, but now his face was scrunched up in thought. 'I don't think this is a date. It may be something romantic, but it could also be-'

"What's he trying to say, with all those roses? Mayby it's just a convenience, Nya?" Eiji asked, curiosity taking over his features while he interrupted Inuis thought process.

"Now I'm positive he's going on a date" Momo muttered unhappily. Not only was Ryoma going on a date, but he must have been pretty close to his girlfriend to buy that kind of bouquet.

"I don't think so" Inui said. "If it is, it's probably a bumpy relationship" he finished. The others looked at him strangely. If a relationship wasn't going well, why would anyone buy that kind of expensive bouquet?

"We had better keep walking, or else well lose him" Kaido said, darting forward to catch up with the un-suspecting Ryoma who had started walking away from them.

After about ten minutes, Ryoma reached the edge of the city. He turned onto a highway that lead north and walked on the side of the road, and the team traveled after him, but much further behind, as to not be seen. Ten minutes passed before he reached a small path that lead east, deep into the forest. Most people would not have seen it, because the first two or three yards were almost covered in shrubs. After waiting several minutes, the group proceeded down the narrow path. The further down you walked, the wider it got, they soon discovered. After about ten yards, they ran into a black iron gate. The path was now about

"_What in the world was Ryoma doing here_" was the echo in all of there minds

"It must be a park or something" Momo whispered. The rest of the regulars barely caught it, even with their sensitive hearing.

"More like an estate" Eiji whispered, just as softly.

They walked closer to the gate, and Eiji hesitantly pulled on the door. It creaked open loudly, the sound slowly died in the forest and surrounding area as they stepped through.

"_CRRRRACK"_

The small group jumped, and turned to see a small old man. He looked American or English, his face was tan and withered with age and there was slight eye wrinkles around his blue almond shaped eyes, and his hair was a silvery-grey-white color. He looked friendly. They noticed his boot was resting upon a broken tree branch, which had resulted in the loud crackly noise.

"Sorry I scared you. My name is John Idolis. You must be here to with Echizen Ryoma." He said, with a slightly flawed japanese. Inui noted he was american, judging by his accent.

"Ah. . . Yes" Tezuka stammered, obviously guilty of lying. Apparently he couldn't lie very well.

"Well, I'm greatly surprised. This is the first time he's been here with someone else other than a dark-haired woman." John replied, oblivious to the face that Tezuka and Oishi were extremely nervous and evidently guilty of lying.

"Does he come here often?" Inui asked ,his intent for gaining data obvious to his teammate, who in turn looked at him absurdly. He was

"I can't remember a week when he hasn't come here for the last two years. Up until a year ago, he'd spend hour's everyday here. Now he mostly comes for a small time each day or a few hours on the weekends, and he rarely misses coming here. Something must have happened, because he normally just brings a single red rose, thought, instead of a bouquet" The man spoke

They gazed at him in awe. What could he possibly be doing here ,all that time? Was it an elite sports club, or something? But why the roses, then?

"Just follow the path, until you get to the first split that leads right, and then follow your friend, okay?" The old man spoke, knocking them back to reality harshly. They nodded their thanks, and started down the path. The Sakura trees were in full bloom, and It looked majestic ,truly beautiful. After lightly jogging to catch up, they soon spotted Ryoma, and quietly trailed after him. Soon after, he turned and began to walk down a side path on the right, and they waited for a while to follow, for fear of being spotted and followed after him. After a minute, they came across a small gate. On the left side, "Echizen" was written on a copper plack.

They entered the already open gate, and saw Ryoma near the back corner. He was looking around quietly. When they caught a glimps of his face, they saw a sad look on his face. They quickly surveyed their surroundings, and ran behind a small shed, just behind Ryoma. They wordlessly hoped onto the sheds roof, to gain a better view. There was no turning back now.

The group surveyed their surroundings, and realized what they were in.

_A Cemetery._

This must've been the Echizen's private cemetery, because almost every headstone had Echizen written on it, followed by a first name.

Headstones were in small lines, and among them was Ryoma, walking to the far corner, only a couple of yards away from the shed. He was standing directly in front of a tombstone, which they could not see the name of. The one beside him said Nanjiroh Echizen, And after thank, Rinko Echizen, and Nanako Echizen.

It was then that they realized that this was wrong.

That this was Ryoma's space

His privacy

His

And his alone.

And they were invading it, without a second thought.

THUD!

They jumped slightly, and turned their attention back towards Ryoma. He was on his knees, in front of a tombstone. His head was hanging, and the bouquet right in front of him .The roses were leaning against the white stone. They heard a sniffle, and saw tears run down Ryoma's face, and onto the cold, unforgiving ground.

"I'm sorry!" He cried out, into the cool evening air.

"It's all my fault, if I hadn't said that then you wouldn't have. . . Then . . . y-you would still be alive." He stopped, unable to speak from the tears pouring down his face, running across his mouth and nose. He was un-aware of the people watching him in horror. They shouldn't have been seeing this. Any of it. And now they knew the horror behind his mask. That behind his cocky attitude, he was broken .His heart was like shattered glass, residing within his chest. With each movement, he could feel the sharp edges cutting him from the inside out. They had seen inside him, but they wished they hadn't, because the truth of it was, it was something they never wanted to see. They would rather see the mask than the person inside.

Because Ryoma was writhing in agony, in pain, all alone.

"I'm so sorry" He murmured

I'm sorry!" He cried out, his voice like melted iron, burning his words into the regulars chest.

"I should have died that day, not you!" He screamed out as his body shook and tears dripped onto the ground.

"The one who should have died that day is me, while you should be here, living your life, and forgetting about me. If we hadn't fought about that, then you'd still be alive. And it's all my fault. Because of me your dead .All because of me" He murmured.

"I've finally seen my promise through, because today, with my teammates, we won the national Tournament. And I did it all for you. Because I made that promise. And now, in two weeks, Ill go to America, and become the top player there. And then, Ill become a pro. Ill sees my promise through, and when I do, will you forgive me? Will I have the right to be happy then?" His questions rang out into the empty air like broken glass, sharp and stingy.

The small group sat on top of the shed, frozen in time. Their pillar of support was leaving. And their was nothing they could do to stop him. They should have never followed him. Now, they knew his secrets, and they could never tell him, or anyone, what they knew. They had seen behind his unseen walls.

**Authors Note:**

**Thanks for reading! This is my first rewritten fan fiction, but I hope you enjoyed it. I'm going to keep the original on the site, because some people PM'ed me. Thought this version really is much better. It's more descriptive, and the grammar is so much better! Anyways, if you guys see a mistake, you can PM me if you want.**

**PS: PLEASE REVIEW**

**~ Asa Usa **


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